“Your mates are trapped in a room with a malacoda. Go ahead and turn me down. I’ll let her kill you, then I’ll command the malacoda to eat your mates. As it is, I’m sure it’s feeling frustrated that I won’t let it attack.”
I didn’t know what a malacoda was but based on the sounds it made in the gym, I knew it was bad. I didn’t have any doubts that it could eat my mates.
“Choice is yours,” Professor Halifax said. “But if she loses the time bubble before you decide, I’ll make the choice for you.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to hold it for too much longer, you might want to decide quickly,” Leanna said.
“What happens after I open the portal?” I asked.
“We go through and you can close it after us,” she said.
“Then you’re gone?” I asked.
“You’ll never see us again,” she said.
“What about my mates and the monster?” I asked.
“You open the portal and I’ll give you the flute I used to command it. You play each note in order and you can send it back to hell.”
It sounded too good to be true. She’d be gone, the thief would be gone, the monster would be gone, and my mates would be safe.
I shook my head. “Not good enough.”
“You don’t really have a choice,” Leanna said.
“I want the monster gone now,” I said. “Send it back to hell so I know they’re safe. Then I’ll open your portal.”
Professor Halifax smiled in a way that made me think I could have asked for more. I seemed to be playing right into her hands. “As you wish.”
She pulled a small flute that looked like a whistle out of a pocket in her tunic and played a series of three notes. “It’s gone.”
“You’re sure?” I asked. “You sent it back to hell, alone, without my mates? They’re all safe in the gym?”
She nodded.
“Now they’re safe, but you’re about to be dead,” Leanna said. “I’ve got maybe five minutes left on this bubble before I lose it. Please, keep talking so I can kill you. I really want to taste your magic. I’m curious if it tastes more like your mom or your dad.”
It took every ounce of my willpower not to charge at her and claw her eyes out. I knew that was what she wanted. She’d win if she got to kill me. I’d win if they went through that portal and never returned.
“Tell me what you need me to do,” I said.
38
Raven
The room vibrated with magic and we hadn’t even started yet. Whatever the silver object was sitting on the floor in front of me, it was powerful.
“You’ll channel all of your magic through me, but aimed at the urn,” Professor Halifax said.
“Urn?” I asked, feeling a wave of nausea. It was bad enough that I was doing magic with someone who stole my own parent’s magic before killing them. Adding in that I was focusing my magic on a container housing a dead person?
“It’s empty,” Professor Halifax said.
“It doesn’t have to be empty,” Leanna said. “It’s not too late for me to steal her magic.”
“No,” Professor Halifax said. “We don’t know when we’ll find another time magic user.”
This whole thing is because of the type of magic I have. Why couldn’t I be a normal mage? A fire elemental or air elemental would be just fine with me.
There was no changing that now, though. All I had to do was help them open this portal, then I could push their asses in and let the magic fade, locking them in there. I knew opening a portal to the fae realm was illegal, but so was just about everything I could do. And at least this was useful. We’d all be better off with these two gone. “Can we get this over with?”
“Remember what I taught you,” Professor Halifax said. “Focus on connecting your magic with the two of us. Just like you did with your mates. You send your magic though me as they did with you. Get it through me, to the urn. I’ll worry about the spell to open the portal.”
That made me feel better. At least I wasn’t technically opening the portal, I was just an accessory to the crime. “I’m ready when you are.”
She positioned herself between me and Leanna, which was good because if Leanna let one more comment slip, I might just risk it all to get in a good punch.
The urn vibrated more, rattling against the floor. It looked like it was about to explode. I winced, tensing as I turned sideways to position my back toward the unstable looking silver object.
“It’s time,” Professor Halifax said. “Through me, to the urn.”
I took a deep breath and did as she commanded, sending my magic out in a rush, focusing on going through her toward the urn. I felt it flowing through me like water running down pipes. It was almost like it was draining from me and pouring into her.
Exhaustion seeped in, as if to my very bones. I had never felt my magic depleted so quickly.
“Hang on, a little more,” Professor Halifax said.
In front of us, light exploded out of the urn as if someone turned on a flash bomb but the light didn’t fade. It glowed blindingly bright. I had to look away, squinting at my feet instead of looking at the urn.
Something sizzled and I could smell smoke and the familiar electric charge of my own magic.
The light stopped and so did my magic. I fell to my knees, feeling like I’d been squeezed of everything I had. Panting and sweaty I looked up at Professor Halifax. She was still looking straight ahead, unconcerned by the fact that I was a crumpled mess on the floor.
I looked back over at the urn and fell down on my ass, shocked as I blinked at the sight in front of me. There was a doorway coming out of the urn. An actual fucking doorway.
An arched opening the same size as a normal door glowed brightly. The urn right in the center. I could see trees and sunshine and fields of grass beyond the portal opening.
It was like staring outside.
A breeze blew in through the door, cooling my hot forehead and sending strands of hair whipping around my face.
We’d done it. We actually opened a portal to the fae realm.
It was achingly beautiful. I crawled toward the opening, feeling a pull to it.
“It’s your home too,” Professor Halifax said. “You feel it, don’t you? She’s calling us all.”
“I do feel it,” I said.
“That’s what I’ve been feeling since I left. You’d have done it too if it was the only way home,” she said.
I stopped moving, shaking off the draw of the view in front of me. “No. No, I wouldn’t.”
Forcing myself to stand, I turned to face her. “You tried to have me killed.”
“It wasn’t personal,” she said.
“But it is,” I said. “You can’t go around killing people to get the things you want.”
“I beg to differ,” Leanna said, walking up next to Professor Halifax. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I still want to know if your magic tastes the same as your fae father.”
She shoved Professor Halifax aside and charged me, wrapping her arms around me as she knocked me to the ground.
I pushed her off of me, startled by how slowly I was moving. I had nothing left. No energy to fight.
Leanna punched me in the face, hitting my right cheekbone and sending my head whipping to the side. I rolled to the side, trying to avoid getting hit again.
She came at me again and I blocked my face with my arms. The blow didn’t come and I peeked up through my fingers to see that she was standing over me, her foot raised above my ribs, ready to crush my chest.
Desperate but moving slowly, I rolled away just in time. Forcing myself to stand, I turned to her. The room was spinning and even walking was making me feel winded. I had to get away from her.
I backed up till I hit the door, grabbing the handle behind me. It didn’t budge.
“It’s sealed. You’re stuck in here,” she said. “And this is how you’ll die.”
“Look out!” Professor Halifax called.
Leanna turned and I looked up just in time to see something with fur and teeth and claws grab hold of Leanna and drag her down.
I didn’t wait to see what the creature was. I ran toward Professor Halifax. If the monster followed me, maybe it would eat her first.
To my surprise, Professor Halifax grabbed me and pulled me behind her. Odd that she was choosing now to be noble, but I wasn’t in any position to argue. Energy still low, I ducked behind the professor and looked over her shoulder toward the door.
Leanna was on the ground. Well, at least what was left of her was there. The monster, a horrible creature that looked like a lion with the head of an eagle was digging its bloodied beak into Leanna’s torn up corpse.
I retched, turning around to spill my lunch all over the floor. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I turned back to look at the creature. It was staring at me now, its black eyes staring at me. It didn’t blink, it just stared.
I stood frozen as did Professor Halifax. After what felt like minutes, the creature returned to tearing pieces out of Leanna. I wanted to feel bad for her but moments before the monster burst through, she had been trying to kill me.
“Did that thing get in through the portal?” I asked.
“Yes,” Professor Halifax said.
“We have to close it,” I said.
“I’m going through. You can come with me or you can face the griffin on your own,” she said.
Suddenly a screeching roar broke through the silence of the room and the griffin that had been happily eating stood and answered back in the same tone.
The hair on my arms stood on end. It was calling to more of them. More of those beasts on the other side of the portal.
“We have to close it,” I said.
Professor Halifax shook her head. “I’m going. You’re on your own.”
She walked toward the portal, leaving me standing there staring at the griffin. I wasn’t sure where to go. It was on all fours now, facing the portal. I was half expecting it to chase down Professor Halifax.
Another screech.
I turned toward the portal and saw a herd of griffins dotted across the field. They were moving toward the portal. Professor Halifax stopped.
“I thought you wanted to go in,” I said. “Do it.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she asked. “Have you forgotten all I taught you so quickly? I helped you.”
“You tried to kill me,” I said.
“But I decided not to,” she said.
“How does that make this any better?”
Claws clicked across the stone floor and I turned to see the creature moving toward me.
It had taken out Leanna without any effort. I knew I wasn’t in any position to fight it. I didn’t even know it was a griffin until Professor Halifax called it that.
Quickly, I climbed up the stone bleachers, going higher up on the rows of seats, hoping it might back down if it didn’t feel threatened by me.
The creature stopped in front of the first row and spread its huge wings, flapping them so hard it made my hair blow in front of my face.
I stood on the top row of seats, my hands balled into tense fists. If it came for me I was going to have to try something. But what?
Just then, the door burst open and Dr. Green exploded into the room followed by Ben, Zach, Luka, and Matt.
“Watch out!” I cried.
The griffin was already on its way to the newcomers. Dr. Green created a ball of fire in his hands and waved it in front of the monster. The creature whined and stepped back, seemingly afraid of the flames.
Zach and Matt made fire of their own, following Dr. Green’s lead at coaxing the creature toward the portal.
“Get Professor Halifax away from that portal!” Dr. Green cried.
Ben and Luka ran toward the portal and grabbed Professor Halifax, who didn’t even put up a fight. They dragged her away from the portal.
Matt, Zach, and Dr. Green used their fire to guide the griffin back toward the portal.
“We need to get it closed,” Dr. Green said.
“Good luck with that,” Professor Halifax said.
“Close it,” Dr. Green said.
“No, I don’t think I will.” She grinned.
Now I knew why she wasn’t fighting it. She thought she still won.
The griffin was back in the portal now, joining the group of others. Zach and Matt were standing in front of the opening, holding their flames out to deter the others.
“I can close it,” I said.
“You don’t have it in you,” Professor Halifax said.
“I don’t have to do it alone,” I said.
39
Raven
Dr. Green crossed the room and grabbed hold of Professor Halifax. “Close it down.”
“You won’t be able to do it,” she said. “The effort is going to kill you.”
A rush of magic surged through me, surging through my veins with a comforting heat. My mates were already sending magic my way, recharging me and giving me the strength I needed to close the portal.
“You’re wrong,” I said.
“You don’t even know the spell,” she said.
I climbed down the rows of seats and walked over to the portal, ignoring her words.
“You’ll fail and she’s going to take you all down with her,” she screamed. “Is this how you want to die?”
“She sure doesn’t want us to do this,” Luka said with a grin. “It really makes me want to do it more.”
“That’s because she knows we can,” Matt said.
“Come on,” I said, moving to a space in front of the portal. I extended my arms out on either side and felt the warm grip of Matt on one side and Zach on the other. I knew Ben and Luka were joining their hands too, sending more magic through me.
I felt alive as magic tingled across my skin. Heat and ice, strength and power. Their magic was invigorating, making me feel invincible. Blocking out the cries from Professor Halifax, I focused on the urn.
She’d told me before that was the source of the power for the portal. It had to be closed through there.
As I sent the combined magic of all five of us toward the urn, I felt a pull, like an undertow trying to drag me under. I gasped and stumbled but two strong grips pulled me back.
“We got you,” Matt said.
I tightened my grip on their hands, grateful for their support. It wasn’t just the magic. It was everything they provided. They believed in me. They cared for me. They were magic in the sack. These mates of mine were the best thing that ever happened to me and I wasn’t going to let a portal full of monsters take them away from me.
With a scream, I sent everything I had toward the urn, urging it to close, sending the magic back to where it had come from.
A blinding light filled the room followed by a huge explosion sound. Something pushed against us, sending me flying backward. The force broke my grip on Zach and Matt and I slammed to the ground, managing to get my hands under me just in time to keep from landing flat on my back again.
“No! No!” Professor Halifax was screaming.
The light faded and my eyes adjusted as I sat up and looked around the room. Matt and Luka were on one side of me, rubbing their eyes and blinking against the loss of the bright light.
Ben and Zach were on my other side, both of them working their way to standing.
I pushed myself to my feet and offered a hand to Matt. He took it and I helped pull him up. Then I turned to look at the portal.
The urn was smoking and it looked like it had been torn apart. Professor Halifax was crying into Dr. Green’s chest.
My brow furrowed as I watched the demon let her cry. He looked very uncomfortable and slightly confused.
The whole classroom was a mess but there weren’t any griffins and there wasn’t a portal. Aside from Leanna, there were no casualties.
I let out a long breath of relief and stumbled toward the benches, sinking down to one.
> Silently, each of my mates followed and joined me on the bench.
“Are you alright?” Ben finally asked, setting his hand on mine.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Or at least, I will be.”
I looked at all of them, relieved that they were here and looked more or less healthy. “How did you get out of the gym?”
“Dr. Green,” Ben said. “Don’t fuck with him. Ever.”
“I’ve never seen someone take out a malacoda before,” Luka said. “I didn’t think it could be done.”
“So much drool,” Zach said.
“So, so much drool,” Matt echoed.
I couldn’t help but grin at them. They were here and they were alive. Somehow, we’d managed to survive all of it.
“Alright, where is she?”
I looked up in time to see Officer M step right into a bloody pile of Leanna. His upper lip curled in disgust and he stepped over the remains and dragged his foot over the floor to clean his shoe. Then his eyes caught mine and he grinned, showing those yellow teeth.
“I knew I’d catch you eventually. That time bubble wasn’t going to last forever,” he said. “I had to wait outside until it broke, but I knew I’d find you here.”
I lifted my eyebrows and stared at him, waiting for the rest of the situation to come to him.
As if on queue, he looked away from me and took in the rest of the room. “What the hell happened in here?”
“You wanted your time magic user?” Dr. Green asked. “You stepped in her.”
Officer M slowly turned around and looked at the remains of Leanna. There was enough of her face left to identify her as the thief that was supposed to be dead.
“She was a lousy thief,” Professor Halifax said.
“And here’s your prize,” Dr. Green said, dragging Professor Halifax over to Officer M. “She opened a portal to the fae realm.”
“With help,” Professor Halifax said, turning to look at me.
“With coercion,” Dr. Green said.
Several security guards ran into the room and congregated around Officer M. He passed Professor Halifax off to them. “Take her in for processing. She’s never going to see daylight again.”
Academy of the Elites: Fated Magic Page 17